Type wbitina machine



(No Model.)

G. B. WEBB. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

Patented Dec. 30, 1890.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

il/ S (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. B. WEBB. 4 TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

\ Patented Dec. 30, 1890.

UNITED STATES GEORGE B. \VEBB, OF NEW YORK, N.

Y., ASSIGNOR TO \VYCKOFF, SEAMANS a BENEDICT, E SAME PLACE.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,707, dated December 30, 1890.

Application filed July 3, 1889 Serial No. 316,389. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. WEBB, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-WVriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of typero writing machines in which each type-bar carries two or more printing-characters, and the paper-carriage is so constructed and arranged that either of the characters is permitted to make an impression at will.

The improvements are applicable more particularly to what is known as the Remington type-writing machine, in which the carriage has a step-by-step lateral motion lengthwise of the impression-roller, and also a forward and backward movement so as to bring the center or printing point of the roller over either of the printing-characters. To secure this result the carriage has been provided with a platen carrying the impression-roller, 2 5 the said platen being provided with lugs to engage a rod or bar carried at the upper ends of elbow-levers pivoted to the frame of the machine. In order to actuate the levers and shift the carriage, they have been connected by means of links or rods with a key-bar having a button, the said button being usually at the left-hand side of the machine, so that when the button was depressed the carriage would 5 5 be shifted to bring its roller into position to be struck by the upper-case character. This shifting of the carriage does not affect its travel, and so long as the key or button is depressed and the other keys actuated only upper-case characters will be printed. In the rapid manipulation of the machine difficulty is experienced by the operator in findingthis shift-key, and the consequence is that leton the latter up against the under side of the key-bar first and wrongly raised and held in position, thereby disfiguring and mutilating the printing-character of the second key pression of the wrong key and holding its bar elevated while a second key is struck.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side View, partly in section, of a portion of a Remington machine with myimprovements applied; Fig. 2, a front face view, partly in section; Fig. 3, a top plan View, and Fig. 4 a detail view.

A indicates the frame of an ordinary Remington machine, and B the carriage provided with an impression-roller C and a platen D. The latter is provided on its under side with lugs a a a a, arranged in pairs and adapted to embrace a rod or bar E, supported at its ends by elbow-levers F, the said levers being rigidly secured upon a rock-shaft G, journaled at its ends to the frame A, as usual.

H indicates a frame, which comprises side bars or levers I I and a front connecting-bar J. The side bars of the frame, which are in all respects like the key-bars of the ordinary Remington machine, are pivoted in a rearward extension of the main frame A, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and are connected by links K with the elbow-levers F, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so that when the free end of the frame is depressed it will cause the shaftGto rock, and, acting through the elbow-levers F and rod or bar E, shift the carriage. At a point between the ends of the front bar J, (either at the center or nearer to one end than the other,) I secure a button I), which, as shown in Fig. 8, extends over the space-bar of the machine, the said space-bar being cut away to permit the depression of the shift-key.

Each of the side bars I I is provided witha key or button 0 near its forward end,the said keys or buttons inclining downward toward the front of the machine, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, to correspond with the type-keys or type-key.

buttons, which are arranged in banks or rows, decreasing in height toward the front. By providing the frame with two of thesekeys 0, one at each side of the machine, it willbe seen that the capacity of the machine for rapid manipulation is greatly increased, as the platen may be shifted with either hand at will, leaving the other hand free to strike the This is a matter of importance where the machine is operated by several fingers of both hands at the rate of about one hundred words per minute, considerable time being now lost by having to bring the left hand down to the extreme left corner of the machine to operate the shift-key.

Under the present construction and arrangement the platen may be shifted by either hand at will, and as the keys 0 c are elongated there is little or no ditliculty in striking them. They may be operated by the little finger without moving the hand from over the key-board.

In addition to the keys b and co, the frame will advisably be provided with a bar (Z, which, as shown in all the figures, is arranged back of the last; row of printing keys or buttons and parallel with the space-bar. This bar (I, being connected at its ends to the slide bars I I by posts or standards c e, affords an easy means of shifting the carriage, the said bar being within reach of most all the fingers of both hands.

The key I) at the front of the frame can readily be operated by thefieshy part of the thumb, and the said key may be held depressed while another key is operated by a finger of the same hand.

In the drawings I have shown the front bar J and keys 0 c as made of a single piece of metal, and after being bent to proper form attached to the forward ends of the side bars I I; but I do not wish to limit myself to the details of construction of the frame, which may obviously be varied without departing from my invention. Now, if either of the keys I) c c or the bar (Z be depressed, the carriage will be shifted so as to bring the print ing-point of the impression roller over the upper-case letter. This statement is based upon the supposition that the carriage is normally in position to print the lower-case letters; but in case it should notbe so arranged the reverse action would take place.

No claim ismade by me to anything shown in British Patents Nos. 3,253, of 1879, 1,864, of 1880, and 607, of 1886.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In combination with frame A, carriage B, having platen I), means for shifting the platen, a frame 11', pivoted in the main frame A and connected with the shifting mechanism, and a bar (Z, secured to the frame II and extending transversely across the key-board above the upper row of keys.

2. In combination with frame A, carriage B, having platen D, means for shifting the platen, a frame II, pivoted in the main frame and connected with the shifting mechanism, a button I), secured to the front edge of the frame, but-tons c c, secured to the side bars of the frame, and a bar cl, extending transversely across the frame.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE ll. IVEBB.

Witnesses:

ROBERT E. TAYLOR, W. H. CHAPMAN. 

